Sam Houston St. tops Eastern Washington to return to FCS title game

By Howie Stalwick

December 15, 2012Updated: December 15, 2012 10:53pm

Photo: Tyler Tjomsland, MBI

Sam Houston State quarterback Brian Bell (11) takes off in the first half of Saturday's Football Championship Subdivision semifinal against Eastern Washington. Bell scored two rushing TDs and threw for one.

Sam Houston State quarterback Brian Bell (11) takes off in the...

CHEYEY, Wash. - No one in Sam Houston State history has intercepted more passes than Dax Swanson, and it's possible no one in Bearkats history has made a more important interception than Swanson's latest and greatest pick.

Swanson sucked the air out of a furious Eastern Washington comeback attempt with his record-breaking 14th career interception late in the fourth quarter, and the Bearkats advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision title game with a 45-42 victory Saturday before a crowd of 7,615 at Roos Field.

The Bearkats led 35-0 at the half, but Eastern Washington (11-3) refused to give up. Two minutes after Swanson's interception, backup quarterback Vernon Adams threw his sixth touchdown pass of the second half with three minutes to go. The Bearkats recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

"Most teams would have folded shop if they were down 35-nothing at halftime and kicking off to us," Sam Houston coach Willie Fritz said. "Those guys really did a sensational job in the second half."

The Bearkats were every bit as impressive in the first half.

"They played a great ballgame … they've got a great offense," said Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin, whose second-seeded Eagles lost for the first time this season on their red artificial-turf field and finished 11-3.

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Sam Houston (11-3) will take on top-seeded North Dakota State (13-1) in the FCS title game for the second straight Jan. 5 in Frisco. The Bison won 17-6 last year.

The Bearkats, who played only four home games this season, can use the three-week break to catch their breath after Saturday's wild contest.

"It's two great football teams," Baldwin said. "There's going to be a lot of punches thrown back and forth, so to speak."

Timothy Flanders never landed a "knockout punch," but the junior running back sparked the Bearkats with 231 rushing yards on 34 carries.

Flanders failed to score, but his electrifying runs were instrumental in Sam Houston's seventh victory in 10 games outside Huntsville. Flanders said all the road games helped the Bearkats maintain their poise.

"It did," said Flanders, who had 100-plus yards for the sixth time in seven games. "We had a great group of seniors that helped lead the whole team."

Adams, who started most of the season after taking over for SMU transfer Kyle Padron in the third game, replaced Padron in the second quarter after Padron had been sacked four times. Padron had returned to the starting lineup for all three playoff games.

The more mobile Adams was sacked just twice and completed 14 of 26 passes for 364 yards, with two interceptions and the six touchdowns.

"It was awesome to see, but not shocking," Baldwin said.

The prime beneficiary of Adams' play was wide receiver Brandon Kaufman. The 6-5 junior caught nine balls for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Kaufman broke the FCS single-season record for receiving yards Saturday, finishing with 1,850 on 93 receptions.